avatarTheodore McDowell

Summary

An elderly man grapples with the impending loss of his wife, reminiscing about their youthful love as he honors her wish to let go in a nursing home.

Abstract

The narrative "The Last Goodbye" poignantly captures the emotional journey of a man watching his wife succumb to illness in a nursing home. As she lingers between life and death, he is torn between the love that compels him to hold on and the painful decision to honor her wishes by signing a do-not-resuscitate order. Their past comes alive in his memories, with a particular moment in 1969 when they were young and in love, playing frisbee in a park, embodying the vibrancy and hope of their youth. This contrasts sharply with the sterile environment of the nursing home. Despite the stark setting, their love endures, and in her final moments, they experience a profound reconnection that transcends the physical realm, allowing her to pass away peacefully.

Opinions

  • The author conveys a deep sense of love and loss, emphasizing the emotional turmoil of watching a loved one suffer and the difficulty of letting go.
  • The use of a flashback to the couple's youth highlights the stark contrast between the vitality of their past and the frailty of their present situation.
  • The decision to sign a do-not-resuscitate order is presented as an act of love and respect for the wife's autonomy and past wishes.
  • The nursing home environment is depicted as somber and disconnected from the vibrant life the couple once shared.
  • The narrative suggests that the strength and essence of true love can transcend the physical limitations of life, offering solace and closure at the end of life's journey.

The Last Goodbye

Death in a nursing home

Photo by Bruce Tang on Unsplash

His wife withers in her nursing home bed, hanging on to a long goodbye. Death whittles her to bones and primitive groans muffled by morphine.

Love forces him to betray her. He signs a do not resuscitate order for the chart, remembering the morning they carved their initials in a birch tree on the bank of a river. How can he let her go?

He holds vigil beside her bed, day after day, the friction of time forms calluses on his heart. He feeds her ice chips. Her hand gropes blindly for his grip. Images kindle behind her misty eyes.

She whispers “frisbee” and suddenly he’s falling in love with her again in a public park in 1969. They’re counterculture, she has a boho style, flowy pants, brocade adorned coat.

Red frisbee spins through spring, caught by the laughter of a playful god.

They flirt on a pastel blanket, shy banter tentative touch, youth breaking free from a chrysalis of innocence, breathtaking as butterflies.

Redbuds blast lavender blooms, branches raise the audacious color toward heaven in prayer and praise.

An acoustic guitar blesses the park with a folk song, lingering melody of paradise.

Back in the dim nursing home, they fall in love again. The full palette of God’s colors bursts into their hearts. She closes her eyes, content with her last goodbye.

Poetry
The Lark
Death
Nursing Homes
Love
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